Check out this nicely written blog post, “What Nannies Need to Know About Food Allergies,” by 4 Nannies.com regarding how professional Nannies should approach food allergies for children in their charge. Truly, I think all babysitters should read this article as well. The author, Erin, reviews the need to understand label reading, restaurants, play dates, introducing new foods (she recommends that Nannies should NOT introduce new foods) and emergency treatments. To me, she nails it with the basics and gives solid advice.
After watching the horror this fall of the Nanny in New York City who allegedly murdered her charges, it is comforting to know there are professional organizations out there to support and guide Nannies in proper care of children and to support the profession of Nannies. There is nothing more precious than our children and many of us raising children with life threatening food allergies, asthma or other chronic illness have made financial and career sacrifices to stay home to manage children’s complicated health challenges. If a family does require a Nanny or even babysitting, then pausing and reviewing your childcare support plan is critical.
If you live in Reno, NV, Allfree Living offers CPR certified babysitting courses that include responding to an anaphylactic reaction and how to manage life threatening food allergies. Please share the article or consider a refresher conversation with your babysitter or Nanny. One tidbit I picked up from Allfree Living, is that the babysitter or Nanny should have a plan a to where they will lay the child down to administer epinephrine and where is the telephone in proximity to that area. I have a plug in land telephone for emergencies as I do not want to be running around the house searching for my cell. A few years ago my nephew had a medical emergency and also was forced to run around his apartment looking for his cell phone–which was incredibly scary and potentially dangerous. Needless to say, that Christmas, I purchased each nephew a plug in telephone.
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Your child has food allergies. The allergies may be minor or life-threatening. No matter how serious the food allergies are, they likely distinguish your child from many of his classmates. What is the emotional impact you can expect? How can you and your babysitter help your child adapt? (Note: all points below involve thorough communication between you and your babysitter as both of you need to know what the allergies are, how they manifest in your child’s body, and how you are choosing to respond to them and to your child . . . both medically and emotionally.)
1. Your child will likely feel that he is being denied something of value to him. For example, if he has an allergy to peanuts, he will not be able to eat anything containing peanuts (Snickers, mixed nuts, some meat dishes that used crushed nuts in their “breading”, etc.). Similarly, he will not be able to eat foods that do not contain peanuts but are prepared using surfaces or equipment that come in contact with peanuts (i.e., in the preparation of other foods). The sense of being denied something of … http://blog.care4hire.com/allergies/428
Candi, Thanks for sharing your wonderful thoughts and the link to the emotional impact of food allergies blog post. It is wonderful to see how caregivers are seriously addressing this life threatening disease.
Yes, knowing the allergies is the must…. When hiring a nanny for the child, parents have to tell all the food allergies and health conditions of their child to their new nanny. Then only nanny can save the child from the problems which can be created by above things.